


Layers

by rowofstars



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Introspection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-08-09
Updated: 2009-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-19 06:16:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4735571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rowofstars/pseuds/rowofstars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the week 4 prompt at <a class="i-ljuser-profile" href="http://writerinatardis.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="i-ljuser-userhead"/></a><a class="i-ljuser-username" href="http://writerinatardis.livejournal.com/">writerinatardis</a>, which was 'Makeup.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	Layers

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still in it. :) Beta'd by [](http://anepidemic.livejournal.com/profile)[anepidemic](http://anepidemic.livejournal.com/).

There are moments when the Doctor remembers a fresh, young thing with inviting brown eyes rimmed in too much liner. He thought the layers of brassy drugstore cosmetics were somehow appropriate for this human girl, untainted by the evils of the universe, her life a mere second to his eternity. That somehow, after all the horrors he’d seen, she was exactly what he needed. He spoke of the turn of the earth, getting lost somewhere in the middle because he could think of little else than the perfect fit of her hand in his and the flutter of her eyelashes, caked in mascara.

He recalls the way it streaked down her cheeks as she shed tears for a father that until then she’d only known from pictures and stories. His fingers ached to wipe the black smudges away, to tuck the loose bits of hair behind her ears. Instead he shoved his hands in his pockets, letting her believe that he was still angry. It was an understandable lapse in judgment, driven solely by love, and it was impossible to fault her for something he’d wanted to do more times than he could count. Afterwards, when he should have been the one apologizing, she flopped on the jump seat, looked up at him with red, puffy eyes and told him again that she was sorry. Then he gave in to the twitch in his fingers, sweeping his thumbs over the dark stains, rubbing it off later on his jeans.

There was the time she took two hours to get ready for a ball on Lezor V and he waited the entire time outside her door. Forced to stand and pace the hall so he didn’t wrinkle his tux, he tried to understand what was wrong with brown and pinstripes. He was ready to warn her about the bad luck associated with him dressing up like a penguin as soon as she was done, but one look at her and his train of thought derailed, tumbled down the mountainside and burst into flames. She was a vision in ethereal pink silk, eyes with just a bit of shimmer and a touch of gloss on her lips. He spent the evening swaying and dancing, captivated by his candied angel.

Days after they’d spent the night under a black hole, he caught her in the kitchen, staring at a cup of cold tea. There was a faint line, a gap in the peachy blush of her cheeks, and just the tiniest smudge at the corner of her eye. Before he could even imply she might not be as okay as she insisted, there was an ‘excuse me,’ some muttering under her breath about things to do and the door to her room was swinging shut behind her. Hours later she padded softly into the library, all smiles again, her smooth complexion in place. Somewhere along the way he realized that they both have their masks and secrets.

But this, this is the way he’s always liked her best, wearing nothing at all and spread out on his bed, all soft sighs and naughty whispers. Her skin is clean and pure, with a hint of soap and lavender. He savors this time when there are no puzzles, no enemies, no running. Though there are still sore muscles and heavy breathing. Nothing masks her face here except love and desire. Everything else falls away and they peel back the layers, down to just the Doctor and Rose, stuff of legend.

 


End file.
